60 Minutes TV Show

Television Show Summary

The TV show 60 Minutes is an investigative television news series, which has run on the CBS network since 1968. They ran several controversial stories during the 80's.

TV Show Plot For 60 Minutes

The 60 Minutes TV show is one of the most successful television series of all time, having finished #1 in the Neilson ratings five times. However, the show has also been called into question on several controversial stories.

In 1982 60 Minutes ran the story "The Uncounted Enemy, a Vietnam Deception". In the story Mike Wallace reported that Westmoreland withheld information on the Vietnam War from policy-makers in Washington. Westmoreland called the report a 'preposterous hoax,' and sued CBS for libel. TV Guide later issued a report called 'Anatomy of a Smear,' which uncovered problems with the 60 Minutes story, documenting that they ignored contrary evidence, and edited video to change the questions Westmoreland is asked. CBS settled the Westmoreland case by issuing a retraction and an apology.

In 1986 60 Minutes ran a story about the German made Audi 5000 car. The story reported on several incidents where people were killed when the Audi accelerated unexpectedly while parked. 60 Minutes, unable to make their test car do this, hired an outside consultant to modify the car's transmission to duplicate the problems.

Audi sales plummeted in the US as a result of the 60 Minutes piece. Later, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Transport Canada ruled that the accidents were attributable to operator error, when car owners pressed the accelerator instead of the brake pedal. CBS issued a partial retraction, without acknowledging the test results of the two government agencies.